Date:	Sunday 25 September 1949
Time:	day
Type:	B.A.C VII Glider
Owner/operator:	168 GS ATC RAF
Registration:	VW915
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Detling, Detling, 4 miles North-East of Maidstone, Kent, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Detling, Maidstone, Kent
Destination airport:

Narrative:
B.A.C. VII Glider VW915, 168 GS (Gliding School) ATC (Air Training Cadets) RAF: Written off (destroyed) 25-9-1949 when crashed at RAF Detling, Detling, 4 miles North East of Maidstone, Kent.

On takeoff from a winch launch, the glider climbed very steeply to an altitude of about 50 feet, when the aircraft stalled. The pilot aggravated the stalling condition by applying opposite aileron, which caused the aircraft to make a sharp 90-degree turn, followed by a dive into the ground.

The accident record card for this aircraft states that the winch operator had thrown the winch out of gear, but it is not clear at which stage of the winch launch this took place, or how this affected the situation. Of the two crew on board, one was killed and one was seriously injured

Crew of BAC VII VW915:
F/O (203053) Edward John HURWORTH (instr. pilot) RAF - killed on active service 25-9-1949
Air Cadet G A SPENDLEY (passenger) ATC - seriously injured 25-9-1949

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.536
3. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VW
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Aircraft_Company#Glider_production
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Royal_Air_Force_Glider_units#100-200
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Detling#History

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